1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a location tracking system and method, and more particularly, to a location tracking system and method for tracking a location of a user indoors and outdoors.
2. Discussion of Related Art
Current location tracking technology is a core technology of a ubiquitous society, and research is under way on technologies for tracking a location of a user using various communication methods.
Automatic navigation devices using global positioning system (GPS) satellites or positioning services based on mobile communications networks are widely known technologies. However, a technology for tracking a location using a GPS satellite exhibits very low accuracy and has many difficulties in being used indoors and in radio shadow areas. Recently, indoor and short-range location tracking technologies employing various communication technologies, such as wireless fidelity (WiFi), ultra wideband (UWB), Bluetooth, radio frequency identification (RFID), and the like, are being researched. Unlike GPS, the aforementioned technologies have limitations in location tracking in a wide outdoor area but can acquire location tracking information with high accuracy in a small area.
Here, there are largely two technologies for estimating an indoor location of a user. The technologies employ a method of estimating a current location of a user by analyzing the intensity of a communication signal, such as a WiFi signal, and a method of estimating a movement distance and direction of a user using a sensor.
As described above, existing location tracking methods have been separately specialized for indoor use and outdoor use and separately researched and developed. Accordingly, an existing location tracking method does not allow both indoor and outdoor location tracking.
Consequently, a location tracking method for tracking a location of a user both indoors and outdoors is necessary.